Creel brake assembly



Jan. 14, 1964 G. L. BALL E TAL CREEL BRAKE ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 18. 1960 INVENTORS: GAINES L. BALL JACK C. GASKINS ATTORNEY G. L. BALL ETAL 3,117,737 CREEL BRAKE ASSEMBLY Jan. 14, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 18, 1960 a F IG- 2 as o '64 6 INVENTORS: GAINES L. BALL JACK C. GASKINS ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,117,737 CREEL BRAKE ASSEMELY Gaines 1.. Ball, West Point, Ga, and .lacl; (I. Gaslrius, Lanett, Ala, assiguors to Eamon-Cool; Company, West Point, Gm, a corporation of Georgia Filed Apr. 18, 1966, Ser. No. 23,077 13 (Ilaims. ("3]. 242--129.8)

This invention relates to creels and is more particularly concerned with a creel brake assembly having a control arrangement whereby variable braking forces are applied to a plurality of creel beams, the forces being an inverse function of the tension on the warp yarns.

In the past, creel brakes have been widely used for applying braking forces to creel beams so that the warp yarns will not bec slack upon deceleration of rotation of the beams. The prior art devices h ve usually consisted of ropes, each of which is connected to the creel frame at one end and looped over the beam head, the other end being provided with a weight to apply a constant force at all times to the beam. With this prior art type of brake mechanism, it is necessary to use sufficient weights to prevent the warp from going slack when the beam is decelerated. Of necessity, the same high braking force is applied upon acceleration of the beams and during normal operating speed where such braking force is not desirable. With high speed processing of warp yarns, it becomes extremely difi'icult to regulate the amount of weights applied to the ropes so that suflicient braking pressure is applied to the beams to prevent the warp yarns from becoming slack while at t .e same time not applying suihcient braking pressure to the beams to cause excessive stretching or breaking of the warp yarns.

Briefly, to obviate the prior art disadvantages described above, we have provided a creel brake assembly in which tension on the yarns controls the amount of braking force applied to the creel beams by the brake shoes or ropes.

In more detail, the present invention includes brake ropes which extend around the heads of pairs of creel beams and tensionin" assemblies which will loosen or tighten the rope in accordance with the radial position of the tensioning assembly. A weight applied to the control assembly tends to tighten or decrease the eifective length of the rope by applying force in one direction while a lever mechanism cooperating with the warp yarns is adapted to loosen or increase the effective length of the rope by applying an opposite force. By such an arrangement, when a heavy pull is applied to the warp yarns so as to tend to stretch the yarns and accelerate the beams, the lever mechanism is actuated and tends to overcome the force of the Weights, thereby reducing the tension applied to the rope brake while just the converse is true when the force applied to the Warp yarns is decreased, such as while decelerating, so as to permit the Weights to become more effective.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a creel brake assembly which will reduce warp tension while to beam is accelerating and reduce the stretching forces applied to the warp yarns while the same is running and provide adequate braking for the deceleration of the beams.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a creel brake assembly which will educe the range of yarn tensions applied to the Warp yarns during the withdrawal of these yarns from the creel.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a quick acting creel brake assembly w i is particularly useful in combination with slashers wherein inertia forces applied to the beams are usually very high.

Another object of the present invention is to provide dill??? ice a creel brake assembly which will reduce the amount of broken warp yarns caused from excessive stretchings of yarns.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a creel brake assembly which will reduce the amount of overrun of the beams when operating at high speeds.

Other and further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, partially broken side elevational view of a creel brake assembly constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 22 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken along line 33 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional View taken along line 4-4 in FIG. 1.

Referring now in detail to the embodiment chosen for the purpose of illustrating the present invention, it being understood that the invention, in its broader aspects, is not limited to the exact details depicted in the drawings, the frame of the creel includes a pair of longitudinally extending girders 1b and 11 which are supported by legs 12. At spaced intervals along the girders 10 and 11 are opposed pairs of upstanding beam supporting brackets, such as rear brackets 13, 13 and forward brackets 14, 1d. The top beam supporting brackets 13, 13, 14, 14 are each triangular shaped, upstandin upwardly tapering members secured in the usual way to the girders It? and 11 by bolts, such as bolts 15. It will be understood that as many such pairs of beam supporting brackets as are desirable are arranged along the girders l0 and 11 and that each opposed pair of such girders supports a high beam, as will be explained in more detail hereinafter.

For providing rigidity to the opposed pairs of beam supporting brackets, there are provided cries-crossed pairs of struts, such as struts 16 and 17. It will be understood that the struts 16 and 17 extend transversely across the frame and are angularly arranged so that one end of a strut will be secured to a girder with its other end secured centrally of a top beam supporting bracket. The bolts 15 serve to secure the criss-cross struts 16 and 17 to their respective girders 1% and 11 while similar bolts, such as bolts 18, secure the other ends of the struts to their respective brackets.

Along the girders lltl and 11, about midway between the brackets, such as brackets 13, 13, 14, FA are the lower beam supporting assemblies vhich are also arranged in opposed pairs so as to support a lower beam. Each beam supporting assembly includes a bearing slide base, such as base 29, secured in place on its girder, such as girder ill, by a bolt, such as bolt 19. The base 2t? rotatably retains an externally threaded shaft 21 which carries a bearing slide block, such as block 22, in threaded engagement therewith for transverse movement upon rotation of the shaft 21. The upper surface of the bearing slide block 22 is concaved and cradles the lower half of a ball bearing 23. Between transversely opposed pairs of such ball bearings 23 there are supported the lower beam shafts, such as shaft 24, which support for rotation therewith the lower beams denoted generally by numerals 25 and 26. It will be understood that each shaft, such as shaft 21, is provided with a crank wheel, such as wheel 27, whereby the transverse position of the bearing, such as hearing 23, may be adjusted as desired.

Similarly, at the upper end of each beam supporting bracket, such as brackets 13, l3, l4, 14, is a beam supporting assembly denoted generally by numeral 30. As best seen in FIG. 2, the beam supporting assembly 3% includes a transversely slidable bearing slide block 31 which is slidably retained on the upper end of a bracket, such as bracket 14. The outer end of slide block 31 is provided :ith a downwardly turned flange outwardly of the bracket 14 and this flange rotatably retains an externally threaded shaft 32 provided with a crank wheel 33 outwardly of base 31. The shaft 32 threadedly engages the bracket 14 so that upon rotation of the crank wheel 33, the slide block 31 will be moved inwardly and outwardly with respect to bracket 14. The inner end of base 31 is provided with a bearing seat 34 like hearing slide block 22, the bearing seat 34 carrying a ball bearing 35 therein.

Between opposed pairs of the bearings, such as bearing 35, are the upper beam shafts, such as shafts 36 and 37. The shaft 36 supports the forward beam denoted generally by numeral 38, and the shaft 37 supports the rear beam denoted generally by numeral 39.

It will be understood that each beam, such as beams 25, 26, 38 and 39, is rotatable about its transverse axis, each being provided on opposite ends with a peripherally grooved beam head, such as heads 4%, 44, 42 and 43 and that each beam is provided between the opposed beam heads with a central body cylinder, such as cylinder 33, of beam 39. it will also be understood by those skilled in the art that a plurality of parallel warp yarns are wound around the cylinders, such as cylinder 4-3 in FIG. 2, the warp yarns leading from beam 25', the warp yarns 51 leading from beam 38, and the Warp yarns 52 leading from beam 39. Immediately below the upper beams 33 and 39 are the transverse guide rolls 54.

According to the present invention, for each pair-of beam heads comprising an upper and lower beam head, such as beam heads 49 and 43, there is provided a tensioning assembly which includes an inwardly projecting stub shaft 53 mounted on each of the brackets 13, 13' and 1-4, 14-. In FIG. 1 the stub shaft 53 is mounted to brackets 13 and 14. for retaining the stub shaft 53 in place, each stub shaft is reduced in diameter at its end portion and is threaded externally to receive a nut, the reduced diameter portion projecting through an appropriate aperture in the central portion of its bracket, such as bracket 14.

Carried between transversely opposed pairs of the stub shafts 53 for pivotal movement are the tension relieving members each having a pair of spaced transversely aligned lever mechanisms which simulate bell cranks. In more detail, each lever mechanism includes a roller carrying arm 69 pivotally mounted by one end to its stub shaft 53 and provided at its other end with a transverse aperture. Opposed pairs of the roller carrying arms support in their apertures a transverse shaft 61 on which is mounted for rotation a warp guide roller 62.

The construction of arms 64 is such that each roller 62. is pivotal in an are below or above the horizontal plane of the guide rods 54. Extending from an intermediate portion of each roller carrying arm 60 is a tension relieving arm 63 which, as seen in FIG. 1, is provided at its extremity with an inwardly extending finger 64. Each finger, such as finger 64, extends essentially parallel to the shaft 61, being provided with a plurality of radially extending, axially spaced pins 65.

A ladder chain 66 is adapted to be suspended by one end from any one of pins and is provided at its other end with a weight retaining member 67 on which one or a plurality of weights 68 may be placed. By providing different weights 6%, the force applied to the lever mechanisms may be varied as desired.

Intermediate the end of chain 66, the chain 66 is secured by bolts 7t? to a flange 71 extending from one end of the brake shoe actuating lever 72. The actuating lever 72. is a channel member having a pair of spaced stub shafts 73, 74 projecting into the channel of the lever 72. Mounted on the shafts 73 and 7d are, respectively, pulleys l 5 and 75, the outer peripheries of which project from opposite ends of the channel of lever 72. The pulleys 75 and 76 are retained in place on their respective stub shafts 73 and 74 by nuts or the like. The pulleys 75 and 75 are aligned longitudinally of the frame.

As best seen in FIG. 4, shaft 73 extends through and pivotally receives the lever 72 whereby the outer end of shaft 73 forms a fulcrum, which is telescopically received within a sleeve 3% projecting inwardly from the central portion of one of the brackets, such as brackets l3, 13', 14-, 1 5'. Thus, shaft 73 pivotally supports lever 72 for free movement in a vertical plane. A set screw 81 projecting through sleeve 84) is adapted to fix adjustably the position of the shaft 73 axially of the sleeve 86. Thus it is seen that the lever 72 may be moved laterally so as to be aligned in a vertical plane with the heads, such as head 43 and the chain 66, which cooperates with the lever 72, may be shifted to the appropriate pin 65 so as to be in essentially a vertical plane with bolt 7%.

As best seen in FIG. 1, each brake assembly includes a brake rope or shoe which extends around the heads of an upper and lower beam. For example, the brake rope 91 extends around heads 4% and 43 and a similar such brake rope extends around the heads 26 and 38. It will be seen in PEG. 1 that the ends of the brake rope are appropriately anchored to the bracket, such as bracket 13. Preferably the ends of the brake rope 99 are provided with loops which extend around the stub shaft 53. From the stub shaft 53 the brake rope 99 leads around head 43 then downwardly around the lower portion of the pulley 76. Thence, the rope 9% extends upwardly to loop around the upper periphery of pulley 75 and thence extends downr'ardly around the periphery of head 4t) to terminate again at the stub shaft 53. Thus, essentially a closed brake shoe or rope 9d of predetermined length is provided which, when the effective length thereof is shortened, applies equal pressure against the heads 40 and 43. A similar arrangement on the opposite heads (not shown) of each pair is present.

Operation From the foregoing description, the operation of the present device is apparent. First the appropriate beams, such as beams 25, 25, 38 and 39, are arranged on the creel frame as illustrated in FIG. 1. If the beams are particularly wide, the cranks or wheels, such as wheels 33 and 27, are rotated so that the appropriate bearing slide blocks, such as slide blocks 22 and 34-, are properly adjusted to receive the bearings, such as bearings 23 and 35, which carry the beam shafts, such as shafts 24, 36 and 37. Next, the wheels, such as wheels 27 and 33, are rotated so as to tighten the slide blocks, such as slide blocks 22 and 34, to thereby carry the bearings, such as bearings 23 and 35, against the beam so that essentially no lateral movement of the beam will take place. Next, the position of the levers 72 of the respective tensioning assemblies are adjusted transversely so as to be in alignment with the heads of their cooperating beams. For example, the lever 72 is adjusted so as to align the pulleys 75 and 76 in a vertical plane with the heads 4% and 43 of beams 25 and 39.

Preferably, the warp yarns, such as yarns 5t 51 and 52, are arranged so that the upper beams and 39 rotate in a counterclockwise direction while the lower creels, such as creels 25 and 26, rotate in a clockwise direction, as the warp yarns 5t 51 and 52 are fed from their respective beams. The warp yarns 5; of the reartmost upper beam 3? are led directly over the warp guide roller 62. and thence across above the next lower beam, such as beam 25, to the warp guide roll 54 and thence under the roller 62 of the tensioning device of the brackets l4, 1 The warp yarns 5d are led directly to the warp guide rod 54 between the brackets 26-, 14 and thence in essentially a parallel plane to the yarns 52, beneath the yarn guide roller 62 of the tensioning device of brackets 14, 14'. In a similar manner the Warp yarns of other beams which may be located on the frame are arranged over similar guide rods (not shown) and similar yarn guide rollers (not shown).

When the yarns, such as yarns Stl, 51 and 52, are pulled from the creel, any force exerted on these yarns will tend to urge the roller carrying arms 60 in a counterclockwise direction, pivoting the roller carrying arms 69 about the stub shafts 53 and 54. This, in turn, causes the arms 63 to be lifted or rotated in a counterclockwise direction, exerting an upward force on their respective chains 66. The upward force on a chain 66 tends to cancel the gravitational force exerted downwardly by weights 6% and thus with yarn tension, the chain 66 tends to rotate the lever 72 in a counterclockwise direction and thereby loosen the rope 90. With less tension on the yarns, the weights 6% become more effective.

It is therefore seen that the braking force applied to the heads, such as heads 4-13 and 43 by rope 99, is inversely roportional to the tension on the yarns, such as yarn 52.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many variations may be made in the embodiment chosen for the purpose of illustrating the present invention without departing from the scope thereof as defined by the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a creel of the type having a frame provided with a plurality of rotatable beams, said beams having heads aligned with each other, the combination therewith of a brake shoe extending around sm'd heads for applying braking force to said beams upon a variation in the efiective length of said shoe, the ends of said shoe being anchored to said frame, control means cooperating with an intermediate portion of said shoe for varying the effective length of said shoe, means connected to said control means for varying the position of said control means in espouse to the force applied to yarns leading from said beams, said variation of said control means varying the efiective length of said shoe, and means for applying force to said control means in a direction tending to counteract the force applied by said means controlled by said warp yarns.

2. A tension control device comprising a first beam having warp yarns wound thereon and mounted for rotation on a first axis, a second beam having warp yarns wound thereon and mounted for rotation about a second axis parallel to said first axis, a shoe extending around said first axis and said second axis for applying a braking force to said first beam and said second beam simultaneously upon the shortening of the effective length of said shoe, means cooperating with a portion of said shoe between said beams for applying a force tending to shorten the efiective length of said shoe, and means controlled by the tension on said warp yarns for applying a force tending to increase the efiective length of said rope.

3. In a creel of the class having a frame provided with a plurality of brackets for supporting beams, each beam including a head aligned with another head of a similar beam, the combination therewith of a brake shoe extending around the aforesaid heads, control means on said frame and laterally adjustable with respect thereto for alignment with said head and for varying the efiective length of said shoe, a yarn guide across which yarns from said creels pass, a tension relieving lever pivotally mounted to said frame and carrying said yarn guide, said yarn guide and said tension relieving lever being so constructed and arranged that force applied to the ends of said yarns will tend to move said yarn guide in a direction to rotate said tension relieving lever in one direction, a chain connected to said tension relieving lever, a weight on the end of said chain, said weight and said chain tending to rotate said tension relieving lever in the opposite direction, said chain being connected to said control means for actuating said control means in one direction upon the rotation of said tension relieving lever in said one direction and actuating said control means in the opposite direction upon rotation of said tension relieving lever in said other direction whereby the effective length of said shoe is varied in accordance with the tension on said yarns.

4. In a creel of the class having a frame provided with a plurality of brackets for supporting beams, each beam including a head aligned with another head of a similar beam, the combination therewith of a brake shoe extending around the aforesaid heads, a control lever pivotally mounted on said frame, means for varying the effective length of said shoe upon rotation of said lever, a yarn guide across which yarns from said creel pass, a tension relieving lever pivotally mounted to said frame and carrying said yarn guide, said yarn guide and said tension relieving lever being so constructed and arranged that force applied to the ends of said yarns will tend to move said yarn guide in a direction to rotate said tension relieving lever in one direction, means tending to rotate said tension relieving lever in the opposite direction, said means being connected to said control lever for rotating said control lever in one direction upon the rotation of said tension relieving lever in said one direction and to rotate said control lever in the opposite direction upon rotation of said tension relieving lever in said other direction whereby the effective length of said shoe is varied in accordance with the tension on said yarns.

5. In a creel of the class having a frame supporting a beam provided with a head, the combination therewith of a brake shoe extending around said head and anchored to said frame, a control lever pivotally mounted on said frame, means on opposite ends of said control lever around which said shoe passes whereby rotation of said lever will vary the effective length of said shoe, a yarn guide across which yarns from said beam pass, a tension relieving lever pivotally mounted to said frame and carrying said yarn guide, said yarn guide and said tension relieving lever being so constructed and arranged that force applied to the ends of said yarns will tend to move said yarn guide in a direction to rotate said tension relieving lever in one direction, a chain connected to said tension relieving lever, a weight on the end of said chain, said weight and said chain tending to rotate said tension relieving lever in the opposite direction, said chain being connected to said control lever for rotating said control lever in one direction upon the rotation of said tension relieving lever in said one direction and to rotate said control lever in the opposite direction upon rotation of said tension relieving lever in said other direction whereby the effective length of said shoe is varied in accordance with the tension on said yarns.

5. In a creel of the class having a frame provided with a plurality of brackets for supporting beams, each beam including a head aligned with another head of a similar beam, the combination therewith of a brake shoe extending around the aforesaid heads and anchored to said frame, a control lever mounted on said frame, a pair of pulleys mounted on opposite ends of said control lever, said pulleys being aligned with said heads, said shoe passing over said pulleys whereby rotation of said lever will vary the effective length of said shoe, a yarn guide across which yarns fromsaid creel pass, a tension relieving lever pivotally mounted to said frame and carrying said yarn guide, said yarn guide and said tension relieving lever being so constructed and arranged that force applied to the ends of said yarns will tend to move said yarn guide in a direction to rotate said tension relieving lever in one direction, a chain connected to said tension relieving lever, a weight on the end of said chain,

said weight and said chain tending to rotate said tension relieving lever in the opposite direction, said chain being connected to said control lever for rotating said control lever in one direction upon the rotation of said tension relieving lever in said one direction and to rotate said cont-r01 lever in the opposite direction upon rotation of said tension relieving lever in said other direction whereby the effective length of said shoe is varied in accordance with the tension on said yarns.

7. In a creel of the class having a frame provided with a plurality of brackets for supporting beams, each beam including a head aligned with another head of a similar beam, the combination therewith of a brake shoe extending around the aforesaid heads and anchored to said frame, a control lever mounted on said frame, a pair of pulleys mounted on opposite ends of said control lever, said pulleys being aligned with said heads, said shoe passing over said pulleys whereby rotation of said lever will vary the effective length of said shoe, a yarn guide bar transversely fixed on said frame and across which yarns from said creel pass, a yarn guide roller adjacent said yarn guide bar and receiving said yarns from said yarn guide bar, a tension relieving lever pivotally mounted to said frame and carrying for rotation said yarn guide roller, said yarn guide roller and said tension relieving lever being so constructed and arranged that force applied to the ends of said yarns will tend to move said yarn guide roller in a direction to rotate said tension relieving lever in one direction, a chain connected to said tension relieving lever, a weight on the end of said chain, said weight and said chain tending to rotate said tension relieving le er in the opposite direction, said chain being connected to said control lever for rotating said control lever in one direction upon the rotation of said tension relieving lever in said one direction and to rotate said control lever in the opposite direction upon rotation of said tension relieving lever in said other direction whereby the effective length of said shoe is varied in accordance with the tension on said yarns.

8. In a creel of the class having a frame provided with brackets for supporting beams, each beam including a pair of heads respectively aligned with another pair of heads of a similar beam, the combination therewith of a pair of brake shoes each extending around a pair of aligned heads and anchored to said frame, opposed control levers pivotally mounted on said frame, a pair of pulleys mounted on opposite ends of each of said control levers, said control levers being adjustable so that said pulleys are alignable in a vertical plane with said heads,

said shoes passing over pulleys of the respective levers whereby rotation of said levers will vary the eiiective length of said shoes, a yarn guide roller across which yarns from said creel pass, a pair of opposed tension relieving levers pivotally mounted to said frame and carrying for rotation therebetween said yarn guide roller, said yarn guide roller and said tension relieving levers being so constructed and arranged that force applied to the ends of said yarns will tend to move said yarn guide roller in a direction to rotate both said tension relieving levers in one direction, a of chains respectively connected to said tension relieving levers, the position of said chains being respectively adjustable laterally of said frame whereby said chains may be aligned with said tension relieving levers, weights on the ends of said chains, said weights and said chains tending to rotate respectively said tension relieving levers in the opposite direction, said chains being respectively connected to said control levers for rotating said control levers in one direction upon the rotation of said tension relieving levers in said one direction and to rotate said control levers in the opposite direction upon rotation of said tension relieving levers in said other direction whereby the eliective length of said shoes is varied in accordance with the tension on said yarns.

9. In a creel of the type having a frame provided with a rotatable beam carrying yarn which extends therefrom, said beam being provided with a circular head, the combination therewith of a brake shoe anchored by its ends to said frame and extending around the periphery of said head for applying a braking force to said head,

and means responsive to the variation in tension on said yarn and cooperating with an intermediate portion of said brake shoe for externally deflecting the intermediate portion of said brake shoe from its normal position to shorten the effective length of said brake shoe and thereby apply said braking force to the periphery of said drum.

1:). in a creel of the type having a frame provided with a rotatable beam, said beam being provided with a circular head, the combination therewith of a brake shoe anchored by its ends to said frame and extending around the periphery of said head for applying a braking force to said head, means cooperating with an intermediate portion of said brake shoe for deflecting the intermediate portion of said brake shoe from its normal position to shorten the efiective length of said brake shoe and thereby apply said braking force to the periphery of said drum, said last mentioned means including a pair of members on opposite sides of the intermediate portion of said brake shoe, one of said pair of members being movable with respect to the other of said pair of members, yarn guide means for moving said one of said members in response to the yarn tension applied on said beam by yarn carried thereon, said yarn guide means being movably carried by said frame adjacent said beam, linkage connected to said yarn guide means, and a lever pivotally mounted on said frame for rotation along an axis adjacent said other member, said lever being connected to said linkage and carrying said one of said members for movement in an arcuate path about said one of said members in response to force applied thereto trough said linkage.

ll. A tension control device comprising a first beam having Warp yarns wound thereon and mounted for rotation on a first axis, a second beam having warp yarns wound thereon and mounted for rotation about a second axis parallel to said first axis, an anchor fixed with respect to said first axis and said second axis, a brake shoe connected by one end to said anchor and having a first increment extending from said anchor around said first axis, said brake shoe having a second increment extending from said first axis to said second axis and having a third increment extending around said second axis, the other end of said shoe being connected to said anchor, the length of said brake shoe being suificiently great that it applies no appreciable braking pressure to said beams, and brake actuating means responsive to variation in tension on said yarn for reducing the effective length of said second increment whereby a braking pressure is applied simultaneously to said first axis and said second axis.

12. A tension control device comprising a first beam having warp yarns wound thereon and mounted for rotation on a first axis, a second beam having warp yarns wound thereon and mounted for rotation about a second axis parallel to said first axis, an anchor fixed with respect to said first axis and said second axis, a brake shoe connected by one end to said anchor and having a first incremerit extending from said anchor around said first axis, said brake shoe having a second increment extending from said first axis to said second axis and having a third increment extending around said second axis, the other end of said shoe being connected to said anchor, the length of said brake shoe being suficiently great that it applies no appreciable braking pressure to said beams, and brake actuating means for moving said second increment out of its normal plane to reduce the effective length of said shoe whereby a braking pressure is applied simultaneously to said first axis and said second axis, said brake actuating means including a lever pivotally mounted adjacent said second increment, a pair of pulleys on the opposite ends of said levers, said pulleys being so positioned as to engage opposite sides of said second increment, and means for pivoting said lever in response to a force applied to the ends of said warp yarns.

13. A tension control device comprising a first beam having warp yarns wound thereon and mounted for rotation on a first axis, a second beam having warp yarns wound thereon and mounted for rotation about a second axis parallel to said first axis, an anchor fixed with respect to said first axis and said second axis, a brake shoe connected by one end to said anchor and having a first increment extending from said anchor around said first axis, said brake shoe having a second increment extending from said first axis to said second axis and having a third increment extending around said second axis, the other end of said shoe being connected to said anchor, the length of said brake shoe being sufiiciently great that it applies no appreciable braking pressure to said beams, brake actuating means for moving said second increment out of its normal plane to reduce the effective length of said shoe whereby a braking pressure is applied simultaneously to said first axis and said second axis, said brake actuating means including a lever pivotally mounted adjacent said second increment, a pair of pulleys on the opposite ends of said levers, said pulleys being so positioned as to engage opposite sides of said second increment, means for pivoting said lever in response to a force applied to the ends of said warp yarns, said last mentioned means including a warp guide member between said first beam and said second beam and over which said warp yarns from said first beam and said second beam extend, and means connecting said warp guide member to said lever for applying a rotational force to said lever to increase the effective length of said brake shoe when a force is ap plied to the ends of said warp yarns.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,040,768 Ryon Oct. 8, 1912 1,462,442 Black July 17, 1923 1,462,604 Lavalle July 24, 1923 1,686,857 Holman Oct. 9, 1928 1,828,918 Balthasar Oct. 27, 1931 1,987,079 Rosenmund Jan. 8, 1935 2,541,662 Cook Oct. 19, 1948 2,752,658 Ingham July 3, 1956 2,920,840 Cooper Jan. 12, 1960 

8. IN A CREEL OF THE CLASS HAVING A FRAME PROVIDED WITH BRACKETS FOR SUPPORTING BEAMS, EACH BEAM INCLUDING A PAIR OF HEADS RESPECTIVELY ALIGNED WITH ANOTHER PAIR OF HEADS OF A SIMILAR BEAM, THE COMBINATION THEREWITH OF A PAIR OF BRAKE SHOES EACH EXTENDING AROUND A PAIR OF ALIGNED HEADS AND ANCHORED TO SAID FRAME, OPPOSED CONTROL LEVERS PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME, A PAIR OF PULLEYS MOUNTED ON OPPOSITE ENDS OF EACH OF SAID CONTROL LEVERS, SAID CONTROL LEVERS BEING ADJUSTABLE SO THAT SAID PULLEYS ARE ALIGNABLE IN A VERTICAL PLANE WITH SAID HEADS, SAID SHOES PASSING OVER PULLEYS OF THE RESPECTIVE LEVERS WHEREBY ROTATION OF SAID LEVERS WILL VARY THE EFFECTIVE LENGTH OF SAID SHOES, A YARN GUIDE ROLLER ACROSS WHICH YARNS FROM SAID CREEL PASS, A PAIR OF OPPOSED TENSION RELIEVING LEVERS PIVOTALLY MOUNTED TO SAID FRAME AND CARRYING FOR ROTATION THEREBETWEEN SAID YARN GUIDE ROLLER, SAID YARN GUIDE ROLLER AND SAID TENSION RELIEVING LEVERS BEING SO CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED THAT FORCE APPLIED TO THE ENDS OF SAID YARNS WILL TEND TO MOVE SAID YARN GUIDE ROLLER IN A DIRECTION TO ROTATE BOTH SAID TENSION RELIEVING LEVERS IN ONE DIRECTION, A PAIR OF CHAINS RESPECTIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID TENSION RELIEVING LEVERS, THE POSITION OF SAID CHAINS BEING RESPECTIVELY ADJUSTABLE LATERALLY OF SAID FRAME WHEREBY SAID CHAINS MAY BE ALIGNED WITH SAID TENSION RELIEVING LEVERS, WEIGHTS ON THE ENDS OF SAID CHAINS, SAID WEIGHTS AND SAID CHAINS TENDING TO ROTATE RESPECTIVELY SAID TENSION RELIEVING LEVERS IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, SAID CHAINS BEING RESPECTIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID CONTROL LEVERS FOR ROTATING SAID CONTROL LEVERS IN ONE DIRECTION UPON THE ROTATION OF SAID TENSION RELIEVING LEVERS IN SAID ONE DIRECTION AND TO ROTATE SAID CONTROL LEVERS IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION UPON ROTATION OF SAID TENSION RELIEVING LEVERS IN SAID OTHER DIRECTION WHEREBY THE EFFECTIVE LENGTH OF SAID SHOES IS VARIED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TENSION ON SAID YARNS. 